Solar Spots. — Pancreas in the Cuttle-^sh. 155 



they are near the margin of the sun ; and he thinks that it is 

 probably these pliosphoric clouds which, in the interval of 

 some hours only, form this great variety of spots. On the 1st 

 December 1823, M. Brioschi of Naples observed a large spot 

 equal to \~ our globe, surrounded with an irregular and 

 branching elevation, into which there seemed to be precipitating 

 great masses of fire. The whole surface of the sun he saw 

 like an ocean on fire agitated by a storm. M. Pastoi-ff saw 

 this same spot on the same day, when the phosphoric clouds 

 were in great motion ; but though he has often seen the agi- 

 tation of the phosphoric clouds much greater, he did not con- 

 sider it as resembjing an ocean on fire. Almost always, when 

 the spots approach the margin of the sun's disk, they divide 

 themselves into several groups, or they re-unite if they have 

 been previously subdivided. Very near the margin, the spots 

 appear totally altered, and they almost always appear as if 

 they were dissolved and changed into luminous clouds, though 

 that dissolution is only apparent ; for it is quite evident that, 

 in proportion as these spots approach the margin of the disk, 

 the penumbra or the nebulosity which encircles them, covers 

 them more and more till they totally disappeai*. There is then 

 only seen the luminous nebulosity, which is sometimes sur- 

 rounded with phosphoric clouds. The sun always appeared 

 more bright at its centre than towards its edge. — Edin.Joum. 

 of Science. • 



DR. GRANT ON THE EXISTENCE OF THE PANCREAS IN SOME SPE- 

 CIES OP THE CUTTLE-FISH TRIBE, AND IN THE DORIS ARGO. 



Dr. Grant lately read a paper before the Wernerian Society 

 on certain glandular organs of the Loligo sagittata Lam., the 

 most common species of Calniar of the Frith of Forth. These 

 glands are situate at the lower and fore part of the liver, are 

 two in number, consist of numerous distinct lobes, of a rose- 

 red colour, and were formerly considered as the ovarium of 

 this animal. It appears, however, that they surround the two 

 biliary canals during their whole course from the liver to the 

 spiral stomach, and communicate freely with the interior of 

 these canals by numerous small ducts. They are always 

 present, and equally developed, in the male and female, and 

 have no organic connexion with the organs of generation. 

 Coloured size injection, thrown into the digestive canal, passes 

 up from the spiral stomach, through the two biliary ducts, and 

 fills these glandular lobes in its passage. From the connexion 

 of tliese glands with the biliary system. Dr. Grant considers 

 them as analogous to the conglomerate pancreas of the skate, 

 and other chondropterygious fishes, and is thus inclined to 

 believe that this important digestive organ occurs lower in the 



U 2 scale 



